Scaffold



Sept. 23, 1930. D. T. MORTON 1 Filed Dec. 23, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Origina Sept. 23, 1930.

D. T. MORTON SGAFFOLD Original Filed Dec. 23, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2wuentoz D- YTMgrioru.

O u w 0 T G Patented Sept. 23, 1930 DENIS r. ivron'ron, or enAYsvIL n,TENN-Essen SCAFFOLI) Original application filed December 23, 1927,Serial No. 242,219. Divided and this December 6, 1928.

This invention relates to a scaffold and moreparticularly to a scaffoldintended for use by bill posters and sign painters, and this applicationconstitutes a division of my copending application for. a patent upon ascaffold filed December 23, 1927 Serial No. 242,219.

,One object of the invention is to provide a scafl'oldwhichmay beerected in front of a 1n signboard to be painted without obstructing theouteror forward surface of the sign board and thereby be prevented frominterfering with the work.

Another object of the invention is to permit the platform of.thescaifold to be folded into a compact mass when not in use so that itmay be stored in a smallspace or easily transported from one place toanother and to provide the folding platform' with a collapsible trusswhich will very effectively support it when in an extended position butso formed that it will move to a folded position between sections of theplatform. when the platform is folded.

The invention is illustratedin the accom panying drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a View in front elevation showing the improved scaffoldapplied to a sign board to be painted,

Fig. 2 is. an enlarged viewshowing a portion of the platform inperspective,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the platform taken 011 theline 3-3 of Fig. 1, and y 1 V i Fig. 4; is a longitudinal sectional Viewthrough the platform showing the same in a partially folded position. I

The platform constituting the subjectmatter of this invention forms partof a 40 scaffold to be used when painting a sign board such as shown inFig. and indicated in general by thenumeral ll This scaffold includesstandards42 constructed as specifically shown in, the co-pendingapplication 4.5 referred to above'and adapted to be disposed verticallyin front of the sign board and connected with the upper and lower'edgesthereof. Vertically adjustable carriages 43 are carried by thestandardsand from these car 50 riages extend bracketsii to supportthe'imapplication filed Serial No. 324,243.

proved platform indicated in general by the numeral 45 andupon WlllCllworkmen stand .or sit while painting thesign board.

The platform consists of companion sections 46, each of whichincludesside bars 47 joined at their outer ends by an end bariSf andbetween which extend intermediate bars 50 and held in proper spacedrelation to eachether by spacing blocks 51. By this arrangement theweight of the platform is greatly reduced but at the same time a work-'man is provided with a good surface to stand or sit upon. Notches 52 areformed in the side bars 47 adjacent the outer ends of the two platformsections andthese notches are" to receive the brackets 44, as shown inFig. 1, so that the platform will be firmly engaged with the twobrackets and" there will be no danger of its slipping longitudinally outof engagement with either of the brackets. It will be understood thatany number. of notches may be provided, At their inner ends thetwoplatform sections carryhinge leaves 53 which consist of metal stripssecured against the inner side faces of the side bars 47 and projectfrom the inner ends thereof with their extended ends overlapped andformed with registering openings through which a pivot rod 54 passes.This rod also constitutes means to pivotally mount the sidearms 55 of acenter strut 56 forming part of a bracing truss for the platform and asleeve 57 which is preferably a pipe of a suitable length is fitted uponthe pivot rod between the arms 55 to retain these arms in proper spacedrelation to each other and close against the hinge leaves 53.

The truss which is employed to reinforce the platform and support it inan operative position is of the queen post type and in addition to thecenter strut 56 also includes end struts 58 which aredisposed'intermediate the ends of the platform sections. Each of' thestruts 58 is of an inverted U-shape and consists'of a pivot bar59journaledfin the side bars 47 and carryingside arms 60 connected withthe pivotbar by T-couplings 61.. The side arms 60 are hollow andrefe'ra-bly formed'of strong'pipeof a: suita' lelength orstrips 49;retained in place by cross rods.

and each arm slidably receives a plunger 62 having an eye 63 at itsouter end which re ceives a cross rod 64. Set screws 65 pass throughthreaded openings formed in the arms, and by referring to Fig. 3 it willbe seen that each of the plungers is reduced in diameter to provideupper and lower shoulders adapted to engage the inner end portions ofthe set screws and prevent the plungers from sliding into or out of thearms beyonda dc sired distance. Therefore, the plungers may slide freelyinto and out of the arms but they cannot become entirely disconnectedfrom the arms. Truss bars 66 extend between the struts 56 and 58 andhave their inner ends pivotally mounted upon the connecting rod 67joining the lower ends of the arms 55 and have their outer endspivotally mounted upon the ends of the connecting rods 64 of the struts58. End bars extend between the struts 58 and the outer end portions ofthe plat-form sections and each consistsof companion rods or bars68' and69 which are slidably connected by sleeves 7O andv 71. The sleeves 70are rigid with the rods 68 and slidthat the truss may be held underproper tension when in an operative position.

When the scaffold is in use, the standards arein front of the signboard, as shown in Fig. 1, in spaced relation to each other andpreferably in spaced. relation to the ends of the sign board. After thestandards have been applied to the sign board, the'platform sections areswung to an extended operative position in which they are disposed inend to end relation to each other and the end por tions of the platformrest upon the brackets 4-1 with the brackets received in the notches sothat the platform will be firmly engaged with the brackets and preventedfrom slipping off the same. -The workmen stand or sit upon the platformand since the carriages may be vertically adjusted upon the standardsall portions of the sign board may be easily reached. hen the platformis re moved from the brackets and its sections are swung toward a foldedposition, the plungers 62 moveout of the arms 60 of the struts 58 sothat the two sect-ions maybe swung towards each other until they contactand the struts 58 are disposed longitudinally of the platform sectionsinstead of at right angles thereto. During this movement, the end rods68 and 69 slide longitudinallyof each other, as shown in Fig. 4:. Itwill thus be seen that the platform may be reduced to a compact mass sothat it will occupy a small amount of space and may be easilytransported from one place to another. When the platform is in use, thetruss is disposed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and provides a very strongsupport which will prevent the platform from collapsing.

Havin thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In a scaffold, a platform having companion sections pivotallyconnected in end to end relation to each other and adapted to be swungfrom an extended position to a folded position, and a bracing truss forsaid platform having struts pivoted to the platform and truss rodspivotally connected with the struts, the struts being located onebeneath each platform section intermediate its ends and one at thepivotally connected ends of the platform sections, certain of the trussrods extending between the outer end portions of the platform sectionsand adjacent struts and consisting of inner, and outer sectionsslidablelongitudinally of each other otally mounted coincident with thepivotally.

connected ends of the platform sections, rods extending between andpivotally connected with said struts, and anchor rods having innersections pivoted to the first-mentioned struts and outer sectionspivoted to the platform sections, means being provided to slidablyconnect the anchor rod sections and limit sliding thereof away from eachother when the platform sections are swung to an extended position.

3. In a scaffold, a platform having co1n-.

pauion sections pivotally connected in end to end relation to each otherand adapted to be swung from an extended position to a folded positionwith one section resting against the other longitudinally thereof, and afoldable bracing truss for said plaftorm extending longitudinallybeneath the same and consisting of struts pivoted to said sectionsintermediate the ends thereof, a center strut pivotally mountedcoincident with the pivotally connected ends of the platform sections,said struts each consisting of depending arms spaced from each othertransversely of the platform and the arms of the center strut being ofgreater length than the arms of the first-mentioned struts, rodsextending longitudinally of the platform and having their ends pivotallyconnected With the lower t'ionsslidably connected and limited in their.

ends of the arms of the first-mentioned struts, and anchor rods havinginner and outer seclatforni having companion sections pivotallyconnected in end:

of the platform, the arms of the last-emeritoend relation to each otherand adapted to he swung from an extended position to EILfOldBdpOSltlOIl, anda bracing truss for said platform having a center strutpi'votally mounted coincident with the-connected ends of the platformsections and other struts pivoted to the platform sections intermediatethe ends thereof said struts each consisting of arms spaced from eachother transverse-iv tioned struts having innersectionsand outer sectionsshdable longitudinally thereof, transverse brace rods for the arms ofthecenter strut and outer sections of the arms of the last-ment onedstruts, truss rods extending between the struts and-h avi'ng theirendspivoted to the loraeerods, and anchor rods having inner sections pivotedto the brace rods of the lastsmentioned struts and outer secs 4tionsslidable longitudinally upon the inner sections and having theirouter ends pivoted V to the platform sections adjacent the outer i endsthereof.

v55l'n a scaffold, a platform having companion sections pivot-allyconnected in end to end relation to each other and adapted to be swungfrom an extended position to a folded position. and a foldable bracingtruss for said platform disposed beneath the same and including strutspivoted to the platform sections and'end and intermediate truss barspivotally connected "with said struts, the end bars consisting of innerand outer sections slidable longitudinally of each other and havingtheir outer ends pivoted to the platform sections adjacent their outerends. i j j 6.111 a scaffold, a platform having COI'l'lpanion sectionspivotally connected in end to end relation to each other and adapted tobe swung froma'n extended position to a folded position, and a foldablebracing truss for said platform disposed beneath the same and includingstruts pivoted to the platformsections and end and intermediate trussbars pivotally connected with said struts the end bars consisting ofinner rods pivotally connected with the adjacent struts and outer rodspivoted at their outer ends to the outer end portions of the platformsections and having their other end portions overlapping companion innerrods, the last-mentioned ends of said rods heingprovided'with sleet esslidably receiving companion rods adapted to contact to limit movementof the rods away from each other. 7 c

7 Ina scaffold, a platform having be swung from airextended position to'a folued posit on, and a foldable hracmg truss panion sections'pivotally connectedin end I to end relation to each other andadaptedftoj '76 for said platform disposed-beneath the same and including a'centerstrut pivotally mount- A edlcoin'cident'wiuh the pivotally connectedends of the platform sections and endstruts 'pivotally mountedintermediate the ends of the platform sections, said strutseachficonsisting of depending ZLI'lTlSvSIJfiCGCl from each othertransversely of the platform, the arms of the end strutsheing hollow across rod connecting thexlowe'r ends of the arms of 's'aidcenter strut,plungers slidahle into ma out of the hollow arms ofthe end struts, crossit bars connecting the plungers of each end strut, truss bars extendingbetween the struts and loosely engaged with said cross bars. and endbars having inner sections loosely engaged with the cross bars of theend struts,

and outer sections slidahle longitudinally of ture.

DENIS rnonron sl fl the inner sections and pivotally connectedand

